Hemomancer#
In the shadowed halls of forbidden knowledge, where arcane secrets intertwine with the pulsing rhythm of life itself, there exists a rare breed of spellcaster—the Hemomancer. These enigmatic individuals wield blood as their medium, tapping into its primal essence to shape reality and defy the boundaries of mortality.
Arcane and Martial Prowess
The Hemomancer stands at the crossroads of magic and combat. Their power emanates from a unique wellspring: the Hemorrhage Dice—a reservoir of life force that fuels their abilities. With each incantation, they draw upon their own vitality, weaving spells and enhancing their martial prowess.Their combat style is a dance of crimson and steel. They laugh in the face of danger, their eyes ablaze with the promise of forbidden might. When they charge into battle, it is not just their blade that thirsts for blood; it is their very essence.
Life Force Casting
Hemomancers are full-casters, their spell repertoire drawn from ancient grimoires. But their magic is no mere incantation; it is a pact with their own lifeblood. As they channel spells, they willingly suffer wounds, sacrificing flesh for power. The pain becomes their catalyst, and their veins surge with arcane energy. When a Hemomancer casts, crimson runes flare across their skin, tracing the contours of forgotten sigils. Their whispered words echo with the pulse of their heart, and the very air shivers in response.The Hemomancer Table#
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Hemorrhage Die | Hemorrhage Dice | Cantrips Known | Max Spell Level | Spells Known |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Armor Restriction, Blood casting, Hemomancer Spell List | - | - | 2 | 1st | 2 |
| 2nd | +2 | Hemorrhage Dice | d4 | 2 | 2 | 1st | 3 |
| 3rd | +2 | Subclass, Subclass Feature | d4 | 3 | 3 | 2nd | 4 |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase | d6 | 3 | 3 | 2nd | 5 |
| 5th | +3 | Overhealing | d6 | 4 | 3 | 3rd | 6 |
| 6th | +3 | Transfusion, Subclass Feature | d6 | 4 | 4 | 3rd | 7 |
| 7th | +3 | Blood tracking | d6 | 5 | 4 | 4th | 8 |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Increase | d8 | 5 | 4 | 4th | 9 |
| 9th | +4 | Hemotoxic Retaliation | d8 | 5 | 5 | 5th | 10 |
| 10th | +4 | Subclass Feature | d8 | 6 | 5 | 5th | 11 |
| 11th | +4 | - | d8 | 6 | 5 | 6th | 12 |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Increase | d10 | 6 | 5 | 6th | 12 |
| 13th | +5 | Blood rituals | d10 | 6 | 5 | 7th | 13 |
| 14th | +5 | Subclass Feature | d10 | 6 | 5 | 7th | 13 |
| 15th | +5 | - | d10 | 6 | 6 | 8th | 14 |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Increase | d12 | 7 | 6 | 8th | 14 |
| 17th | +6 | - | d12 | 7 | 6 | 9th | 15 |
| 18th | +6 | Blood Curse | d12 | 7 | 6 | 9th | 16 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Increase | d12 | 8 | 6 | 9th | 17 |
| 20th | +6 | Sanguine Ascendancy | d12 | 8 | 6 | 9th | 17 |
Class Features#
As a Hemomancer you get the following class features.
Hit Points#
Hit Dice: 1d20
Hit Points at 1st Level: 20 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d20 (or 11) + your Constitution modifier per Hemomancer level after 1st
Proficiencies#
Armor: None
Weapons: Simple Weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Constitution (Expertise)
Skills: Choose any three from Acrobatics, Athletics, History, Insight, Medicine, Nature, Religion and Survival.
Equipment#
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:- (a) a quarterstaff or (b) a simple melee weapon
- (a) a light crossbow and a case of 20 bolts or (b) 5 darts
- (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an scholar’s pack
Armor Restriction#
1st-level Hemomancer feature.Hemomancers channel their power through the unobstructed flow of their own blood. They need to move freely to perform blood casting and use hemorrhage dice. Armor restricts movement and disrupts the connection to their blood. Therefore, hemomancers cannot use these features while wearing armor.Blood casting#
1st-level Hemomancer feature.You gain the ability to cast spells. You are a full-caster, using the Hemomancer spell list (see the table below). As a Hemomancer, you draw upon your own life force to cast spells. When you cast a spell, you take damage equal to four times the spell’s level. This damage cannot be reduced by any means, but it does not require you to make concentration checks if you are concentrating on a spell.Spell Slots
Hemomancers tap into their own life force to fuel their spells. They don't rely on spell slots to cast spells. Instead, they draw power from their own life force. You can cast spells as long as you have enough hit points available. However, there's a limit to the strain you can place on your body. You can only cast one spell of 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th level each per long rest.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the Hemomancer spell list. The Spells Known column of the Hemomancer table shows when you learn more spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st, 2nd or 3rd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the spells you know and replace it with another spell from the Hemomancer spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Constitution is your spellcasting ability for your Hemomancer spells, since your magic draws on your own life force. You use your Constitution whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Constitution modifier when setting the saving throw DC for an Hemomancer spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier
Hemomancer Spell List#
1st-level Hemomancer feature.As a Hemomancer you get access to the following spells:| Spell Level | Official Spells | Homebrew Spells |
|---|---|---|
| Cantrip | , , , , , , , , , and | - |
| 1st | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | |
| 2nd | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and | - |
| 3rd | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and | and |
| 4th | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and | - |
| 5th | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , and | |
| 6th | , , , , , , , , , , , , and | - |
| 7th | , , , , , and | - |
| 8th | , , , , , and | - |
| 9th | , , , , , , , and |
Hemorrhage Dice#
2nd-level Hemomancer feature.You possess a pool of hemorrhage dice that fuel your arcane and martial prowess and bolster your resilience. You gain a number of hemorrhage dice equal to half your hemomancer level (rounded up). You regain all spent hemorrhage dice during a short rest.These dice start as a d4 at 2nd level and increase in size: d6 at 5th, d8 at 9th, d10 at 13th, and d12 at 17th level.
Hemorrhage Strike (Bonus Action): As a bonus action, you can expend one hemorrhage die to add its roll to the damage of your next attack. You gain temporary hit points equal to the amount rolled on the hemorrhage dice.
Vital Ward (Reaction): When you take damage, you can use your reaction to expend one hemorrhage die and reduce the damage you take by an amount equal to the die roll + your Constitution modifier.
Subclass#
3rd-level Hemomancer feature.Choose your subclass. Your control of hemomancy allows you to specialize, and you have the ability to choose your path as a Blood Knight or a Sanguine Mage. As a Blood Knight you are a fierce martial fighter, utilizing your large health pool as well as healing and draining magic to keep yourself alive despite your lack of armor. As a Sanguine Mage you are a powerful arcane caster, dancing a fine line between life and death as you drain your own life force to lay waste to your enemies. Lifeweavers possess the unique ability to sacrifice their own life force to heal others.Choose either Blood Knight, Sanguine Mage or Lifeweaver as your subclass.
Ability Score Increase#
4th-level Hemomancer feature.When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.
Overhealing#
5th-level Hemomancer feature.You gain the ability to convert excess healing into temporary hit points. Whenever you are healed for an amount that would bring you above your maximum hit points, you gain temporary hit points equal to the amount that would have exceeded your maximum hit points.Alternatively, you can choose to only gain temporary hit points instead of being healed. If you do so you gain temporary hit points equal to the maximum number of hit points possible from any healing.
Transfusion#
6th-level Hemomancer feature.You can extract blood from a living creature or a creature who was slain within the last hour and isolate one of their senses, proficiencies or languages. This process takes 10 minutes. When the process is completed you can consume the blood as an action or store it in a vial. In a vial, the blood is magically perserved and can be consumed by you within 30 days of extraction.As an action you can consume the blood to gain the sense, proficiency or language stored in the vial. The effect lasts for 24 hours. You can only have one such effect active at a time.
Blood tracking#
7th-level Hemomancer feature.If you possess a vial of blood from a creature, you always know the distance and general direction to the creature as long as you are on the same plane of existence.As an action you can consume the blood to cast on the creature. The creature automatically fails it's saving throw when you cast in this way.
Hemotoxic Retaliation#
9th-level Hemomancer feature.Being poisoned is an unpleasant experience, and as a Hemomancer, you’re acutely aware of its effects and the very essence of your blood magic reacts. When you are poisoned the following additional effects apply:- You have disadvantage on all Saving Throws.
- When you attack a creature or cast a spell, the target (or one target of your choice affected by a multi-target spell) must make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC. On a fail the creature is poisoned for 1 minute and has disadvantage on all saving throws. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of it's turns.
Blood rituals#
13th-level Hemomancer feature.You have mastered the art of performing arcane rituals using blood as a conduit for your magic. During a short or long rest, you can conduct a blood ritual to invoke one of the following effects:- Sanguine Empowerment: You can enhance your Hemorrhage Dice. Whenever you roll Hemorrhage Dice, roll an additional dice and add it to the total.
- Blood Bond: You can create a bond with a willing creature by sharing blood. You and the bonded creature can communicate telepathically within a mile and have advantage on all attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws when you are within 15 feet of each other.
- Essence Infusion: You can infuse a weapon with hemomantic energy. The weapon deals an extra necrotic damage on a hit and has the properties of a magic weapon for overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
- Vital Warding: You can ward up to 6 willing creatures with protective blood magic. They gain temporary hit points equal to your Hemomancer level and are cured of one condition.
Blood Curse#
18th-level Hemomancer feature.As a Hemomancer, you have learned to unleash a potent curse that siphons the life force of your enemies. When you cast a spell that deals damage, you can invoke the Blood Curse to afflict the target with a debilitating hex.Choose one of the following effects when you invoke the Blood Curse:
- Sanguine Shackles: The target’s speed is reduced to 0, and it cannot benefit from any bonus to its speed.
- Crimson Decay: The target takes necrotic damage at the start of each of its turns.
- Withering Essence: The target has disadvantage on Constitution saving throws and is vulnerable to necrotic damage.
Sanguine Ascendancy#
20th-level Hemomancer feature.At the pinnacle of your mastery over hemomancy, you achieve a state of near-immortality through the complete fusion of your essence with the lifeblood you command. Your understanding of blood magic allows you to transcend the limitations of your mortal form.- Your Constitution increases by 2, to a maximum of 24.
- Your hit point maximum cannot be reduced.
- When you are reduced to 0 hit points but not killed outright, you can choose to regain hit points equal to half your hit point maximum. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.
- When you use a Hemorrhage Die, you can roll two dice and choose which one to use.
Subclasses#
Blood Knight#
Homebrew subclass for Hemomancer
The Blood Knight embodies a fierce and daring approach to combat. These warriors utilize their own life force as a resource, combining healing and draining magic to stay alive in battle. The Blood Knights thrive on risk and reward, eschewing armor in favor of raw power and resilience.
Fighting Style#
3rd-level Blood Knight feature.You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options: Defense, Dueling, Great Weapon Fighting, Protection, Two-Weapon Fighting.You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Sanguine Smite#
3rd-level Blood Knight feature.When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can choose to expend one or more of your Hemorrhage Dice (max 5) to deal additional damage. The damage type is necrotic.Dance with Death#
3rd-level Blood Knight feature.When you have less than half your hit points you can add your constitution modifier to the damage of all attacks. When you have less than a quarter of your hit points your attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20.Extra Attack#
6th-level Blood Knight feature.You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. Additionally, when you use your action to cast a spell you can make one weapon attack using your bonus action.Bloodsense#
10th-level Blood Knight feature.As a hemomancer, you possess a unique attunement to the lifeblood flowing within creatures. This acute awareness grants you blindsight within a radius of 30 feet, allowing you to detect the presence of living creatures.Bloodlust#
14th-level Blood Knight feature.As an act of primal ferocity, you can willingly sacrifice one third of your current hit points (rounded up) to enter a bloodlust state. While in this state, your senses sharpen, and your combat instincts heighten. When you take the Attack action, you can make an additional attack. Additionally, if a creature enters your melee reach, you can make an opportunity attack against it.Sanguine Mage#
Homebrew subclass for Hemomancer
The Sanguine Mage delves into forbidden arts, harnessing the very essence of life—the pulsing crimson flow within their veins. Their spells are woven from blood, and their power is drawn from the vital force that courses through all living beings.
Dance with Death#
3rd-level Sanguine Mage feature.When you have less than half your hit points, your spells cost three times their level in hit points. This is reduced to twice their level when you have less than a quarter of your hit points.Expanded Spell List#
3rd-level Sanguine Mage feature.The Sanguine Mages gain an expanded spell list through their communion with life’s essence. Their connection to hemomancy—the forbidden art of blood magic—allows them to peer beyond mortal bounds.| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | , , and |
| 1st | , , , , , and |
| 2nd | , , , , , and |
| 3rd | , , , , , , and |
| 4th | , , , , and |
| 5th | , , , , , , and |
| 6th | , , , and |
| 7th | , , , and |
| 8th | , , , and |
| 9th | , , and |
Drain Life#
6th-level Sanguine Mage feature.When your spell hits a living creature or they fail a save against your spell, you can tap into their life force. By expending one or more Hemorrhage Dice, you drain vitality from your target. Roll the Hemorrhage Dice and add your Constitution modifier to the result. The target takes this amount of necrotic damage, and simultaneously, you regain the same number of hit points. You can use this feature once per turn.Crimson Sigil#
10th-level Sanguine Mage feature.You can inscribe a Crimson Sigil on a surface or object. This sigil is invisible and can only be seen by you. Inscribing a sigil takes 1 minute and you must complete a long rest before you can inscribe a new sigil. You can activate the sigil as a bonus action to produce one of the following effects in a 10 foot radius sphere around the sigil for 1 minute:- Sigil of Warding: Grants a +2 bonus to AC to allies within 10 feet of the sigil.
- Sigil of Fury: When you deal damage to an enemy within 10 feet of the sigil, it takes an additional slashing damage.
- Sigil of Fear: When an enemy comes within 10 feet of the sigil for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1 minute. Frightened creatures can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success
- Sigil of Bloodbond: When an ally within 10 feet of the sigil takes damage, you can use your reaction to take half of that damage instead.
Sanguine Retaliation#
14th-level Sanguine Mage feature.When you take damage, you can use your reaction to expend one or more Hemorrhage Dice and force the attacker to make a Constitution saving throw. The attacker takes necrotic damage equal to the roll of your Hemorrhage Dice plus your Constitution modifier, or half as much on a success.Lifeweaver#
Homebrew subclass for Hemomancer
Lifeweavers possess the unique ability to sacrifice their own life force to heal others, a trait inherent to their hemomantic magic. However, this gift comes with a significant limitation: Lifeweavers are completely unable to use their healing abilities to restore their own health under any circumstance. Their hemomantic powers are solely directed towards aiding their allies, leaving them without recourse for self-healing.
Dance with Death#
3rd-level Lifeweaver feature.When you have less than half your hit points, your healing spells also grant temporary hit points equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1). When you have less than a quarter of your hit points you gain temporary hit points equal to your hemomancer level at the start of your turn.Expanded spell list#
3rd-level Lifeweaver feature.Lifeweavers possess the unique ability to sacrifice their own life force to heal others. However, this gift comes with a significant limitation: Lifeweavers are unable to use their healing spells or abilities to restore their own health.| Spell Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| Cantrip | , , |
| 1st | , , , , , and |
| 2nd | , , and |
| 3rd | , , , , , and |
| 4th | , , and |
| 5th | , and , |
| 6th | , and |
| 7th | |
| 8th | |
| 9th | and |
Blood Infusion#
3rd-level Lifeweaver feature.You gain the ability to channel your own life force to heal others. As a bonus action, you can expend one or more Hemorrhage Dice to heal an ally within 30 feet. Roll the Hemorrhage Dice and add your Constitution modifier to determine the amount healed.When you use your Hemorrhage Die for healing, you take damage equal to half the amount healed.
Crimson Bulwark#
6th-level Lifeweaver feature.When a creature you can see within 10 feet of you takes damage from an attack, you can use your reaction to become the target of the attack. You can choose to expend a Hemorrhage Dice to reduce the damage you take by the amount rolled.Empowered Vitality#
10th-level Lifeweaver feature.As an action, you can empower a willing creature you can see within 30 feet of you and infuse them with hemomantic energy. The target gains temporary hit points equal to your hemomancer level plus your Constitution modifier (minimum of 1). Additionally, for the next minute, whenever the target makes a saving throw, they can add your Constitution modifier to the roll. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.Sacrificial Surge#
14th-level Lifeweaver feature.As an action, you can choose any number of creatures you can see within 60 feet of you, and expend hit points up to half your maximum hit points. Each chosen creature regains hit points equal to the total amount of hit points you expended, divided as you choose among them. Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a long rest.Tags:piercingslashingnecrotichemomancerextra attackmartialhealingtemporary hpmax hphit dicerevivespells
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